The Bible teaches that each vow and each
oath is recorded in Heaven; … this is condensed for us in the Confession,
ch. 22 teaches us, “A lawful oath is an aspect of religious worship, in
which the swearer, having God’s truth, justice and righteousness in view,
solemnly calls God to witness what he swears, and to judge him according to
the truth or falsity of his words”. In other words, we are worshipping God
by acknowledging His Sovereignty in that He sees, hears and knows all things
in every area of our lives. This means that the way we make and keep our
promises is an indication of our walk with God.
There are some genuinely sincere believers
who believe it is not right for Christians to make oaths or vows, - they
would uphold their point of view from Mt.
5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's
throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem;
for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy
head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these
cometh of evil.
However, the context in Mt. 5:33-37
indicates that the people were swearing by created things, -
heaven, … earth, …
thy head,
- rather than the Creator Himself, and they were making vows so frequently
concerning unimportant matters in ordinary conversation, that their vows had
become empty and meaningless. (It’s like hearing someone saying, “For God’s
sake” when the use of the term is not worshipful, but instead it is using
His Name in vain.)
On the other hand, the Confession of
Faith makes it clear that “an oath is only lawful when it is taken in
the Name of God, with all holy fear and reverence. To swear vainly or
rashly by that glorious Name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is
sinful and to be abhorred”.
It is a serious matter making oaths and
vows; the Psalmist explained, 116:18 I will
pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
…
-
he would pay that which he had
promised to the Lord absolutely, - he would keep his word to the
Lord totally;
-
he would keep his promises plainly,
- with no ‘second’ meanings, no smart undertones and no room for
ambiguity, (Confession, “An oath is to be taken in the plain and
usual sense of the words used, without equivocation or mental
reservation”);
-
he promised to keep his vows presently,
i.e. now, not some time in the future when it would be considered
more suitable or advantageous, but without excuses or delay;
-
he promised to keep his vows publicly
so that others could examine his honesty before God.
Now, … what are the practical implications
of these Lawful Oaths And Vows?
We
can see these borne out in our second consideration this evening. With
regard to Civil Government
the Confession upholds the
Biblical principle that the powers that be
are ordained of God (Rom 13:1). Jack
McConnell is the First Minister in Scotland because God has ordained him to
be. Tony Blair, George Bush, and every other government leader anywhere in
the world is in the position because of the ordinance of God (Rom. 13:2)
for there is no power but of God (Rom.
13:1). … And Gordon Brown will only
become Prime Minister if he is so ordained by God.
The practical implication is also that our
MP’s must swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Queen, - they must place their
hand on the Bible (or Old Testament or Koran) and say, “I…..swear
by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help
me God.” Whether they accept it or not … our MP’s are responsible before God
for the laws they pass and the direction they guide our country.
At her coronation Queen
Elizabeth II also made a vow in the presence of God,
“I
do solemnly, and in the presence of God
profess, testify and declare that I am a faithful Protestant and that I will
secure the Protestant succession to the throne of my realm”. She also
promised, “to maintain to the utmost of my power the Laws of God, the true
profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed religion established by
law”. … She is personally responsible before God for the vows she made that
day.
The Bible says,
Rom. 13:6 they are God’s ministers, attending
continually upon this very thing.
Whether they recognise it or not, they have a solemn responsibility not only
to the people, but to God Who has placed them in that position.
Incidentally, we have personal charge from God’s Word to pray regularly
I Tim. 2:2 for kings and all those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour.
In a legal court, witnesses and juries
promise, “I swear by Almighty God that I will tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth”.
In the Church, Ministers, Deacons and members
make promises in the sight of God. At the Induction Service we stand before
God and make vows that we promise to keep.
In the marriage service vows are also made
before God, … and at baptism, … and when we come into membership of the
local church. We make these vows openly and publicly before Almighty God …
and we make oaths to those around us in the presence of God.
Conclusion
Now, let’s consider this:
What blessing would flow if we upheld every
promise we made to God and every promise we made to others in His presence!
Surely His favour would be upon our nation,
our families, our church and upon our society.
Jonathan Edwards is said to have made seventy
resolutions that he read over every week. Among his resolutions were, “Never
to do anything which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of
my life....To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of charity and
liberality”.
Our Bible study is simple this evening but
it is nonetheless a serious matter that God keeps a record of the promises,
vows and oaths we make and He holds us accountable. Solomon wrote,
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in
fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. Better is it
that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay
(Eccles.5:4,5).
Rather, may it be our
testimony,
Ps. 66:13 I will pay thee my vows, 14 Which my lips
have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken.
